Did you hear the news about Santa? If the word on the strip mall circuit is correct, Santa has gone gluten-free! Apparently, all the flour from all the cookies all these years has taken a toll on his intestines. Maybe Santa’s round belly is filled with more bloating gases than jelly.

I also hear that Santa has become vegan. He was sitting down to dinner one night and suddenly, the meat on his plate reminded him a whole lot of Rudolph. He just couldn’t deny it any longer. How could he love his reindeer and yet eat other animals? How could he wish Peace on Earth for everyone yet contribute to so much suffering?

So this year when you are leaving out milk and cookies for Santa, be sure to leave him non-dairy milk – maybe some rich and creamy So Delicious Cashew Milk or Coconut Milk Nog. And when it comes to cookies, bake Santa some scrumptious vegan, gluten-free treats that will satisfy him but not leave him feeling all fatigued and bloated. Oh, Santa is also trying to eat organic, non-GMO and encourages people to use local ingredients when possible.

Here are 2 recipes for vegan, gluten-free cookies that will make Santa smile.

The first recipe is for Chocolate Hazelnut Drop Cookies. These are really fast and easy to make. Just mix the ingredients and drop them on a baking sheet. The chocolate hazelnut spread I used is from Rawmio.

Rawmio Hazelnut Chocolate Spreads are handcrafted, raw vegan decadence. They are gluten-free, organic and sweetened with coconut sugar. They come in 3 flavors: Original, Silk which is like white chocolate but made with cacao butter and Crunch which has crushed hazelnuts and cacao nibs for added texture.

I used the Rawmio Original which is stone-ground organic raw hazelnuts, organic cacao nibs and coconut crystals turned into a smooth, rich, dark chocolate spread.

These cookies are light, sugary and look like little chocolate snowballs. I made a batch of 20 cookies because it’s just the 2 of us (and well, mostly just Tom) eating them but I would suggest doubling or tripling the recipe if you are making them for the whole family or for friends.

The second recipe is for Chai Spiced Cookies. Nothing says Christmas like the warm spices of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, allspice and ginger.

These cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Tom said they were amazing! The perfect cookie to have with some non-dairy milk or to have with tea. Even though the recipe sounds like there is a lot of sugar, they don’t taste too sweet. All the spices leave a warm, winter flavor on your tongue and the black pepper is an added enhancement. Yes, black pepper in a cookie. Trust me.

These are my favorite kinds of cookie – crispy, not too sweet and with flavors other than chocolate or oatmeal (although I like those too).

I’m going to be sure to have both kinds of cookies out when Santa comes (yes, he visits Jewish people too). I know he’s going to love them. I hope you do too. HO HO HO! Enjoy!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the butter and 3-4 Tbs. of powdered sugar in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix until they are combined and appear fluffy. Add in the vanilla and mix again. Slowly add in the flour and the gum, mixing with the hand mixer, until everything is well combined. Finally, mix in the chocolate hazelnut spread. You should have a thick but soft doughy batter.

Using a tablespoon, drop balls of dough onto the baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

When the cookies are completely cooled, sprinkle the remaining powdered sugar over them. Store in an air-tight container.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a mug or small bowl, combine the egg replacer or flaxseed with warm water. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar and spices. Take 1/3 cup of the sugar/spice mixture and set it aside on a plate for later.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, xanthan or guar gum, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well until it’s well-combined.

Add the butter to the bowl with the sugar/spice mixture. Using a hand mixer, mix until the sugar and butter is combined, light and fluffy. Mix in the egg replacer, milk and vanilla until it is smooth. Slowly add the flour mixture, about 1/3 at a time, to the wet ingredients and mix until it is all just combined into a dough.

Wet your hands a little bit and roll spoonfuls of the dough into little balls. The balls should be about 1-inch in size unless you want larger cookies. Roll each ball in the sugar/spice mixture you set aside before and place them on the baking sheets about one inch apart. Using the back of the spoon or the bottom of a glass, lightly press the balls down into discs.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, turning the pans around halfway through. They should be golden brown and just starting to brown on the bottoms. They will still feel somewhat soft on top. They will harden as they cool. When they are done, remove them from the oven. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

The “V” Word: Say it. Eat it. Live it.

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About Rhea

Hi! I am a vegan and a strong animal advocate for the past 10 years. Becoming vegan is the best thing I have ever done in my entire life. Every being deserves to live their life in peace and safety. When I became vegan, there were no places in my Bronx neighborhood to eat so I had to learn to cook, mostly from watching cooking shows on TV. That led to the creation of The "V" Word blog which focuses on vegan versions of favorite, familiar foods. Any food can be made vegan and if you can have the foods you love, the foods you crave, the foods you grew up with, all in a compassionate, cruelty-free way, why wouldn't you?
Born and bred in The Bronx, I share my life with a rescued Westie mix named Benoni. It is my hope that I can spread the "V" Word to bring more compassion into the world.
I have several e-cookbooks you can purchase. Just ask. I have also written hundreds of articles for One Green Planet.
Enjoy the recipes.

Welcome to The ‘V’ Word

Hi, I'm Rhea and I've been vegan almost 10 years. My goal is to promote veganism, help save animals and fill bellies with lots of delicious cruelty-free foods.

My specialty is making vegan versions of favorite, familiar dishes. Because if you can have the foods you grew up with, the foods you always loved, the foods you crave in a healthier and compassionate way, why wouldn't you?